Dining
UM Farm to College
University Dining Services and four UM graduate students teamed-up in the spring of 2003 to create the UM Farm to College Program, dedicated to buying more food locally to feed the campus community. Through this program, The University of Montana plays a greater role in supporting Montana's economy, strengthening the local community and helping to preserve Montana's natural and cultural heritage.
This program utilizes local foods through the form of a Farm to College retail section in the Cascade Country Store and new daily Farm to College menu items. UDS has also incorporated local foods into the Food Zoo, University Dining Services' all-you-care-to-eat venue.
The UM Farm to College Program supports agriculture and economic development statewide by purchasing Montana products to serve in our dining venues. We educate the campus community and others about Montana food and agriculture, thereby strengthening connections between the urban and rural areas of our state. We seek to reduce our environmental impacts by shortening the physical distance that our food travels.
University Dining Services (UDS) purchases approximately $3 million in food supplies each year. Recirculating any portion of this money within the local economy has a significant impact.
Local farms provide communities with a direct and reliable food source, thereby making consumers less dependent on food sources that are thousands of miles away.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware and concerned about where their food is coming from. Whether referencing environmental, health or quality issues as the reason, our consumers are demanding local products.
Food that must be shipped long distances is often picked before fully ripened or specifically grown to increase shelf life. Local foods can remain unpicked until ripe, and be served at its freshest, and most nutritious point.
UDS collaborates with the Western Montana Growers Co-op, the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center and many local food purveyors to identify mutually beneficial opportunities and craft creative solutions.
UDS and our prime vendor, Sysco Montana, are working together to purchase more local foods. Currently, these items include breads, safflower oil, pasta, salad dressings, beef, bacon, sausages and goat cheese to name a few.
UDS currently purchases a wide variety of products from 53 local vendors who supply locally produced foods and beverages. This includes everything from apples to zucchini, tomatoes to taters and a plethora of other seasonal items. A total of 21 counties across the state of Montana are represented, and this number continues to increase. UDS is constantly working with current and prospective vendors to incorporate new local offerings into our menus and add to the inventory in our retail stores.
Volunteer with the UM Farm to College Program
Spread the word to other local producers
Western Montana Sustainability Exchange
Farm To College Links UM To Montana
Tracing the Chain: An In-depth Look at UM's Farm to College Program